 |
| Warm threads for winter with the muted tones of knitted hat, snood, mittens and scarves by Amber Hards. |
 | ||
| Cosy, fashionable threads in pale, muted yarns by Amber Hards. |
Hi Amber, introduce yourself and please tell us something about you and your work...
I'm a knitwear designer based in Bristol and I create high-end knitwear clothing & also natural fibre accessories. They are often inspired by nature and texture. I love working with yarns and techniques that push knitwear forward and create something new. The accessories I create are made to last and woven in subtle muted colours with beautiful natural fibres that look great season-to-season.
 |
| Elegant season-to-season knitwear with hats, mittens and snoods by Amber Hards. |
Can you share with us what you love most about working in your chosen discipline?
I love texture and creating fabrics, so sitting at an old knitting machine testing out new ideas and yarn combinations for hours on end is so wonderful to me. I also love that with knitting I am part of the process from the start to the finish - I think it's amazing that I can create endless varieties of fabrics from a single cone of yarn! There is a huge amount of creativity in knitwear and it is incredibly exciting to be producing new ideas and work with it.
 |
| Designed to fit with your wardrobe, the muted grey tones of Amber Hards' knitted hats and scarves with bobbles and toggles will fit right whatever shade you're wearing. |
What is currently your most popular creation?
For the accessories I would say the most popular design is the collared scarves - it's like a snood with a long front. It works perfectly with jackets that you don't fix up at the front. It keeps you warm without the bulk of a huge jumper, and the neck can be worn rolled up or down. I don't take mine off in the winter months and I have customers ordering a new colour each year, which is lovely!
Who and what are some of your biggest creative influences or inspirations?
I have always been inspired by the work of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Their creativity and use of beautiful textiles first inspired me to become a fashion designer and I loved that they were creating fashion for the sake of art rather than to set trends. My main interest in fashion is through the textiles and for me creating new fabrics and then applying them to the body is the most exciting part. I also love the huge variety that my contemporaries in knitwear design are at the moment. I'm also inspired by many other forms of art - I love seeing how other disciplines work with texture - especially ceramics.
 |
| Glimpse inside Amber Hards' studio with yarns, textiles and lots of fabric inspiration while she creates her knitwear and fashion ranges. |
Tell us about your studio…
I work from my home studio, complete with two vintage domestic knitting machines. I also have a big desk - perfect for playing and laying out fabric samples and sewing up all my products after they've been knitted. On my walls I have five big cork boards which are usually completely filled with samples and ideas. And of course I have shelves and shelves of yarn all stacked up, ready to use. It's a small but cozy space, especially in the winter when I’m at my busiest.
 |
| See what the knitted bobble hat was inspired by with this peep into Amber Hards' studio with old postcards, fabric samples pinned up on her cork boards. |
We'd love to hear about your creative process. How do you go about designing a new piece?
I have two processes - one for designing a clothing collection and one for my accessories.
With the clothing I spend time researching my concept, filling sketchbooks with lots of drawings, paintings, ideas. Then I start working with yarns on the machine, turning my drawings and ideas into fabric swatches. This is the part I love the most and often spend too long on! I'll have 200 or more samples by the end & then have a hard choice to pick a few to develop more. Then I start draping and working with the fabrics and there’s more sketching before I come up with the final pieces and produce them.
With my accessories, I like to keep the shapes simple, and as they are functional pieces I approach it slightly differently. I like to create accessories that work well with different colours of coats and outerwear, so I work a lot with greys & whites, mixing them to create different tones. I experiment with the fabrics often using landscapes that I've visited to influence a new pattern or texture. Then I'll knit them up and wear them myself to see where and if they need changing or improving. So by the time I've finished a product I've discovered any problems and also know what it's like to wear them on a regular basis!
 |
| Amber's uses her social media account to share the sketches filling her notebooks with new ideas for knitwear accessories, as well as the places and artwork that inspired it. |
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your line of work?
I work from home, so often I'm on my own for the best part of the day. This makes being motivated more difficult and if you're having a bad day, you have to pick yourself up rather than have someone help you. Also getting your products in front of the right people is often difficult and approaching stockists can be intimidating - especially when you have taken so much time and care to produce pieces.
 |
| Tools of the trade: this is what a knitwear designer, Amber uses to create beautiful knitted accessories. |
What handmade possession do you most cherish? (bonus points for mentioning another Bristol maker!)
I have a beautiful wood engraved print of an owl by my friend Ben Goodman (who also often sells at Made in Bristol). I love having work made by my friends - especially as Ben was one of the first people I met on my foundation course at UWE 12 years ago. It's amazing to see so many of us still working on our art.
 |
| The corkboards of Amber's studio are full of inspiration, drawings and samples to keep the ideas flowing for fashionable, lasting knitwear. |
What do you when you are stuck in a creative rut?
I give myself some space. I try not to force myself as I'm an artist who works best when I'm happy. I listen to brilliant music, dance around the studio and make some samples "just coz". Then usually some accidental discovery will get me back on the right track. I also try and get friends into the studio so I can talk through what I'm doing with them. I find this helps me organise my thoughts and often they'll spot something or love something I've not given much time to and that encouragement is often a great boost!
Where would you like to be in ten years?
Happy in Bristol, with a bigger studio and regular work as a knitwear designer. Hopefully still designing and making clothes, as well as pushing the boundaries of what knitwear is and can be.
We look forward to seeing Amber and her knitwear range at our Made in Bristol Gift Fair at Colston Hall on 1 & 8 December.
You can also see more of Amber's work in our Made in Bristol Designer-Maker Gift Guide.
Photography thanks:
Products by Jo Hounsome Photography.
Studio shots by Amber Hards.
No comments:
Post a Comment